1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a contact blade adapted for an assembly of electrically conductive contacts in a printed circuit board, adapted to access line current, such as in a 120 V AC outlet. The assembly may be used in various ways, such as an intermediate in the making of molded plugs, in a transformer for rechargeable units, night lights, low voltage surge protectors and resistance heaters for room fresheners.
The blade is a low cost padded thin-line, 0.020 thick metal which snaps and locks into a phenolic printed circuit board. The blade is flow solderable to a printed circuit on the printed circuit board. The blade includes a seal-off bubble for PVC overmolding, which prevents flashing of the contacts and prevents the padded shape at the front of the blade from popping open, which may happen in production. The blade has a four point dig-in contact area to assure contact and the positioning of the blade and is adapted for automation.
The blade is blanked so that lanced tabs are formed on both sides of the blade to lock the blade into the printed circuit board.
Printed circuit boards are not generally connected into the standard 120 V AC current outlets directly, nor indirectly.
The printed circuit board with blades engaged can be moved automatically, or moved as a unit for further operations.
The blades can be continuously stamped from conductive metal stock for assembly by an insertion machine or hopper fed for machine or manual insertion. In an assembly with a printed circuit board the blades can be directly electrically connected to a 120 V AC electrical outlet.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art discloses many different variations of snap in devices for printed circuit boards per se.
WO 86/07204 discloses a complex terminal for soldering to a printed circuit board. The terminal has a spring like finger to maintain touching contact with the board and to form a reliable solder joint for surface mounting an electrical connector with floating electrical terminals. The connectors are spring loaded and legs are received in holes to anchor the connector independently of solder tails.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,056 discloses a surface mount electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board. The connector includes terminals (38) which have solder tails (66) for soldering to a printed circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,898 discloses an electrical connector blade which snap fits into a printed circuit board for making an electrical connection. The blade contact extends horizontally on the longitudinal plane of the circuit board. The blade has legs at a right angle to the blade to connect the blade to the board along the plane of the board and in electrical contact with the board. A special recess along the length of the blade compensates for variations in the board and/or the blade in order to maintain electrical contact. The blade is not adapted for 120 V AC connectivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,637 discloses a wiring device which is retained in slots on the printed circuit board. A through terminal is perpendicularly mounted to a printed circuit board through a special straddling connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,393 discloses a stamped electrical connector which is seated and held by sleeves in an insulator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,553 discloses a minimum force insertion connector which is housed in slots in a plug. The terminals are exemplary of solder connected terminals substantially parallelly connected to a printed circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,001 discloses an electrical terminator assembly having opposed contact arms and a central U-shaped body portion. The terminals, while perpendicular to their base, are not self supporting in the openings through which they pass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,209 discloses perpendicularly attached lead members for a printed circuit board where the leads have a removable interlink for the purpose of positioning the lead in the printed circuit board. The leads are then soldered into the printed circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,819 discloses female terminals attachable to a printed circuit board by passing tabs through openings in the circuit board and having the tabs bent over and soldered to the circuit board conductors on the underside of the board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,373 discloses a round electrical pin for printed circuit board typical of prior art conventional pins and contacts in printed circuit boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,958 discloses another round electrical pin for printed circuit board typical of prior art conventional pins and contacts in printed circuit boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,889 discloses another round electrical pin for printed circuit board typical of prior art conventional pins and contacts for printed circuit boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,529 discloses another type of contact for printed circuit board typical of prior art conventional contacts for printed circuit boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,935 discloses a 120 V AC system to be plugged into a conventional outlet with a circuit to a aroma generating apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,071 discloses a printed circuit board having die stamped conductive patterns having integral terminals by folding conductive material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,623 discloses at blades for a 120 V AC outlet extending from a transformer for a printed circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,384 discloses another type of blade for a 120 V AC outlet extending from a printed circuit board with a transformer.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 263,822 discloses a round pin and contact blades extending from a flat surface.
IBM disclosure Bulletin Vol. 5, No. 5 of October, 1962 discloses a miniature pluggable contact having a folded midsection with opposing formed prongs 11 positioned to receive a pin 10. Barbs 14 are formed on the sides to lock the connector in place. The contact stem is molded into the printed circuit board and/or held there by barbs to hold it in place.
Annexed hereto is form PTO-1449 and copies of the patents cited therein.